Hey folks,

You could be forgiven for mistaking this for a dandelion, it is, however, one of its relatives, with the rather cumbersome name Jack-go-to-be-at-noon, otherwise known as Meadow Salsify.

These plants are wild in the UK, just like dandelions, but less common. They’re also much larger, and although this stage of the plant resembles the fluffy head of a dandelion the flowers that precede it are quite different to that of a dandelion.

Why Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon? Because the flowers tend to close up around noon on sunny days. ‘Jack’ is sometimes used in colloquial flower names in the UK, Jack-by-the-hedge, otherwise known as Garlic Mustard, being another example.

I’m quite happy with this shot. For one, I’ve wanted pictures of Meadow Salsify in this stage since I first came across them while out with my camera a year (or was it two years?) ago. Unfortunately, it was a pretty wet summer last year, and rain ruins the plant’s fluffy seed head, which you can see in the photo above.

I managed to get this shot during the beautiful light of Golden Hour, just before sunset. I haven’t been able to get out much this summer because of the weather being all over the place and being too tired from my day job, so I was glad to manage a little stroll in some nicer weather the other evening.

I used a canvas texture in Photoshop to give it an even dreamier, painting-like look, something I’ve been experimenting with lately with my macro and flower photography.

Thanks for visiting,

Kaylin x